55-Years After Gowon Passed Through Ikom, C’River Community Revolt, Says No Access Road, No Elections

Emmanuel Alfred 

Exactly 55 years ago after former Nigerian Head of State General Yakubu Gowon (Retd) Passed through Nta-Nsele-Edor road in Ikom to access Ogoja , the Nta-Nsele -Edor road has remained in a terribly deplorable state.

Youths in the community who seem tired of what they described as “sufferings” has resolved that no elections will hold in their community, since according to them, no political office holder means well, or Sparks for them. Although a state in the Crude Oil-Rich Niger Delta Region, Cross River still suffers a gross road infrastructure deficits across her 18 local government areas.

Explaining the road situation in his community, a traditional leader, Chief Livinus Mfono Nto, Village Head Ngoh Etingta village Nta-West Autonomous Communit, explained that, “The Road links our community from Edor to Obubra. That was the road that is supposed to lead to Ogoja. The Ikom Ogoja road was originally supposed to follow here, but because we don’t have people in Government to speak for us, that’s what we are suffering.

“This road existed before the Nigeria-Biara Civil War. When General Yakubu Gowon come to Ogoja in 1967-1968, he passed through this road, then the Ikom-Ogoja road wasn’t founded it. But since over 50 years) this road was left like this. Sometime during Senator Liyel imoke’s Government this road was awarded from Edor to Ofun (the ikom River side), then the contract was awarded 15 kilometers, but it was only 3 kilometres that was constructed.”

The monarch added that, “They constructed some small bridges on the road, but the rest of the work was abandoned. Since that time till today, with the high rains, we are left at the Mercy of our youths, who go manually and do some amendments on the road. Even now, if you want to come into our community, you will find it very difficult to come in. Government hasn’t been paying attention. They only took photographs and showed that the road has been constructed, when they was nothing like that.

When contacted, the youths from the community who spoke through their leader, Comrade Kingsley Mfah Nsing, stated the obvious.

According to him, We as community youths have resolved that, as these elections are coming forth, the political office holders have marginalized us. We have agreed that if we can’t find anyone who means well for our community, we won’t vote in the elections. Elections will not be conducted in our community, because we have been marginalized, how can a community survive without a basic infrastructure like access road? They have been telling us lies and deceiving us. We are tired of all the lies that they are telling us, while we keep suffering.

“Nta Nsele -Edor road is my community road. The road was awarded in 2008. They worked half of it and were unable to finish the road. At community we have always brought trucks of gravels to fill into the bad spots on the road. But we don’t have enough funds to completely construct the road else we would have done it.

He added that, “The road 15 kilometers spanning from Edor to the Beach (Ofunatam). The other side of the Cross River is (Obubra beach) of the river. that’s the boundary between Obubra and Ikom Local Government Areas. The road links about 15 communities in Ikom. All the communities live along the road.